NIFL Premier Intermediate League

Football league

NIFL Premier Intermediate League

Founded| 2016
Country| Northern Ireland
Number of clubs| 14
Level on pyramid| 3
Promotion to| NIFL Championship
Relegation to| Ballymena & Provincial League
Mid-Ulster Football League
Northern Amateur League
Domestic cup(s)| Irish Cup
IFA Intermediate Cup
League cup(s)| Northern Ireland Football League Cup
Current champions| Warrenpoint Town
(2024–25)
Current: 2024-25 season

The NIFL Premier Intermediate League (Known as the Playr-Fit NIFL Premier Intermediate League for sponsorship reasons) is the third level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national association football league in Northern Ireland, and the highest intermediate division in Northern Ireland, occupying level three in the Northern Ireland football league system – below the NIFL Premiership (level 1) and NIFL Championship (level 2).

The third level in Northern Irish football was known as the Irish League Second Division from 1999 to 2003, the Irish Second Division from 2003 to 2008, the IFA Interim Intermediate League from 2008 to 2009, the IFA Championship 2 from 2009 to 2013, and the NIFL Championship 2 from 2013 to 2016. The league is set to be replaced at the start of the 2026 season by a new conference league format.[1]

## History

[edit]

Under reforms agreed by the NIFL clubs in 2014, from 2016, when the previous Championship 1 acquired senior status, Championship 2 continued as the Premier Intermediate League, retaining its intermediate status and thus became the top intermediate league in Northern Ireland.[2][3]

In May 2023, the league was expanded to 14 teams, due to licensing issues with Warrenpoint Town and PSNI not having a league they can seamlessly be relegated into. Rathfriland Rangers joined the league for the 2023-24 season, along with Coagh United.[4]

## Current members

[edit]

The 2023–24 NIFL Premier Intermediate League consists of 14 teams.

Club  | Location  | Stadium  | Capacity[5]

|
|
|

Armagh City | Armagh | Holm Park | 1,500
Ballymacash Rangers | Lisburn | The Bluebell Stadium | 1,280
Banbridge Town | Banbridge | Crystal Park | 1,500
Coagh United | Coagh | Hagan Park | 1,000
Dollingstown | Dollingstown | Planters Park | 750
Limavady United | Limavady | The Showgrounds | 1,500
Lisburn Distillery | Lisburn | New Grosvenor Stadium | 1,500
Moyola Park | Castledawson | Mill Meadow | 2,000
Portstewart | Portstewart | Seahaven | 1,500
Rathfriland Rangers | Rathfriland | Iveagh Park | 1,000
Queen's University | Belfast | Upper Malone | 300 (Approx)
Tobermore United | Tobermore | Fortwilliam Park | 1,000
Warrenpoint Town | Warrenpoint | Milltown | 1,450

## List of third-tier champions

[edit]

Season  | Champions

|

Irish League Second Division
1999–00 | Dundela
2000–01 | Dundela
2001–02 | Moyola Park
2002–03 | Ballinamallard United
Irish Second Division
2003–04 | Coagh United
2004–05 | Tobermore United
2005–06 | Portstewart
2006–07 | Ballyclare Comrades
2007–08 | Dergview
IFA Interim Intermediate League
2008–09 | Harland & Wolff Welders
IFA Championship 2
2009–10 | Harland & Wolff Welders
2010–11 | Warrenpoint Town
2011–12 | Coagh United
2012–13 | Knockbreda
NIFL Championship 2
2013–14 | Armagh City
2014–15 | Lurgan Celtic
2015–16 | Limavady United
NIFL Premier Intermediate League
2016–17 | Limavady United
2017–18 | Dundela
2018–19 | Queen's University
2019–20 | Annagh United
2021–22 | Newington
2022–23 | Bangor
2023–24 | Limavady United

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "PIL set to be replaced by Conference league in 2026". Belfast Telegraph Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
2. ^ "NI Football League - Restructure Proposal". Northern Ireland Football League. nifootballleague.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
3. ^ Northern Ireland Football League (2014). NI Football League Restructure Proposal.
4. ^ "NIFL Include Warrenpoint Town and PSNI in expanded third tier". Belfast Telegraph Sport. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
5. ^ "Venues - Premier Intermediate League - Northern Ireland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-02-04.

* v
* t
* e

NIFL Premier Intermediate League seasons

Irish League Second Division|

* 1999–00
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03

Irish Second Division|

* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08

IFA Interim Intermediate League|

* 2008–09

IFA Championship 2|

* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13

NIFL Championship 2|

* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16

NIFL Premier Intermediate League|

* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24

* v
* t
* e

Association football in Northern Ireland

Irish Football Association \- Northern Ireland Women's Football Association

National teams|

* Northern Ireland (history)
* B
* U-23
* U-21
* U-19
* U-18 Schools
* U-17
* U-16 Schools
* Juniors
* Women's
* Women's U-19
* Women's U-17
* Irish League XI

Leagues|

| Men|

* NIFL Premiership
* NIFL Championship
* NIFL Premier Intermediate League
* Ballymena & Provincial Football League
* Mid-Ulster Football League
* Northern Amateur Football League
* NIFL Premiership Development League

|

Women|

* Women's Premiership
* Championship 1
* Championship 2

Domestic cups|

| Men|

* Irish Cup
* NI Football League Cup
* NIFL Charity Shield
* County Antrim Shield
* Mid-Ulster Cup
* North West Senior Cup
* Irish Intermediate Cup
* Steel & Sons Cup
* Bob Radcliffe Cup
* Craig Memorial Cup

|

Women|

* IFA Women's Challenge Cup
* NIFL Women's Premiership League Cup
* All-Island Cup

Defunct leagues|

* Irish Intermediate League
* IFA Interim Intermediate League
* Northern Ireland Intermediate League

Defunct cups|

* Gold Cup
* Ulster Cup
* City Cup
* Floodlit Cup
* Carlsberg Cup
* Top Four Cup
* Belfast Charity Cup
* Alhambra Cup
* Fermanagh & Western Intermediate Cup
* McElroy Cup
* Setanta Sports Cup
* Dublin and Belfast Inter-City Cup
* North-South Cup
* Blaxnit Cup
* Texaco Cup
* Tyler Cup
* Irish News Cup
* Champions Cup
* George Wilson Cup

Awards|

* Ulster Footballer of the Year
* Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year

* Sunday football in Northern Ireland
* List of clubs
* List of grounds
* Records

* v
* t
* e

Teams of the Northern Ireland Football League

Premiership|

* Ballymena United
* Carrick Rangers
* Cliftonville
* Coleraine
* Crusaders
* Dungannon Swifts
* Glenavon
* Glentoran
* Larne
* Linfield
* Loughgall
* Portadown

Championship|

* Annagh United
* Ards
* Armagh City
* Ballinamallard United
* Ballyclare Comrades
* Bangor
* Dundela
* Harland & Wolff Welders
* Institute
* Limavady United
* Newington
* Newry City

Premier Intermediate League|

* Ballymacash Rangers
* Banbridge Town
* Coagh United
* Dergview
* Dollingstown
* Knockbreda
* Lisburn Distillery
* Moyola Park
* Oxford Sunnyside
* Portstewart
* Queen's University
* Rathfriland Rangers
* Tobermore United
* Warrenpoint Town

* v
* t
* e

Third-level football leagues of Europe (UEFA)

Current|

* Albania
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium (Flanders•Wallonia)
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Federation
* Republika Srpska
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Bohemia
* Moravia-Silesia
* Denmark
* England
* Estonia
* Faroe Islands
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Rep of Ireland
* Leinster
* Munster
* Israel
* Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Kosovo
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Northern Ireland
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Division A
* Scotland
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* Wales

Former|

* Belgium
* England
* Third Division
* Third Division North
* Third Division South
* Second Division
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* East Germany
* Bavaria
* Berlin
* North Baden
* Rhineland
* Saarland
* Schwarzwald-Bodensee
* South Baden
* Southwest
* Württemberg
* Central
* Regionalliga West/Südwest
* Greece
* Rep of Ireland
* Connacht
* A Championship
* B Division
* Ulster
* Israel
* Italy
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Northern Ireland
* Portugal
* Second Division
* Third Division
* Campeonato de Portugal
* Scotland
* Soviet Union
* Spain
* Wales
* North
* Mid
* South
* Wrexham
* Yugoslavia
* Third League
* Croatia
* Macedonia
* Montenegro
* Slovenia

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